Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)

Director: Kurt Kuenne. 95 min. Not Rated. Documentary.

Compared to the "unfair" deaths we read about every day, the number of lives lost in this true story is a bare minimum. But boy, this is one of the saddest stories ever. The magnitude of grief and utter failure of the judicial system to prevent tragedy is so profound, that similar to The Imposter, it's one of those stories you have a hard time believing ever happened. My Mojo score, is because the incredible editing and smart story-telling technique raises it above others, and because with all the negativity, it dares to end with a positive note of hope.

PS: This is available on Netflix.

Mo says:

2 comments:

  1. Sadly not available on UK Netflix but I did manage to acquire a copy and I have to agree with your review. This was a great documentary and like you I was stunned by how badly the judicial system failed utterly. I wonder if there was an anti US bias by the Canadians?

    After seeing this I wont just dismiss any murder I read about anymore, the murder of a single person can have a massive effect on so many lives.

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    Replies
    1. Toast,

      Your interest in documentaries has reached a point that I'm always excited as soon I post a documentary review, sooner or later, I'll receive your expert opinion.

      That's exactly what the film does to you: suddenly, you realize how precious every single life is.

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